8 Comments

Kevin R.
on November 3, 2017 at 3:58 pm

We have a Prius (3rd Gen.) but I’ve never slept in it. One of these days…

This was a really fun episode to listen to. Practical and no nonsense. Unfortunately, many of the YouTube van-dwelling channels are nuthin more than beautiful models vlogging themselves eating a mango in the back of a $30k Sprinter van. Not so informative. Ha!

Another +1 of the mini-van: you can haul an insane amount of lumber and building materials in the back of one of those puppies. I think even 12′ boards fit down the middle isle!

Thanks for this episode Joshua! As a younger woman traveling alone, I was sleeping at a rest stop and accosted by a strange man. To this day, I am convinced that only the presence of my dog saved me from a terrible fate and my zest for solo travel has been tempered. Can you add a post script to this episode and address safety issues?

Hi Joshua,
Enjoyed the episode. Have you ever checked out frominsidethebox dot com? It’s a blog by a recent college grad who paid off his student loans by living in a used moving van and who continues to live in it. He only uses the van for sleeping and storage, typically uses a bike for travel rather than the van itself, and takes advantage of employer-provided gym, shower and eating facilities. It’s a fascinating blog, I recommend it.

I am a 52 year old male. I am married but for two years my wife and I had to live apart. When I was 50/51 I lived in my car for 3 months at one point and then for 2 months about three months after that. I had a UPS Store box for mail, used 24 hour fitness for showers and restroom, and my office desk and fridge for keeping some food handy. I did this to save on rent because I lived in the Bay Area. We are back together and glad that era is over and done, but I still kind of miss living in my car!

Joshua, I recently listened to this episode and agree with you about different cars. There is ne other car worth consideration. The Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter vans. They have moer space than an Econoline type van and with the various roof heights most people can stand up in them. Ten year old Sprinter and similar European vans can be found for under $10,000. A Sprinter with the 5 cylinder diesel engine will 20-21 MPG. That places their fuel economy with minivans but with much more living space.

Just started listening to your show and am finding it insightful. Thank you!

One other safety concern I thought of with regards to living in your car that you did not address and I thought worth mentioning, is the fact that if you are trying to find a spot to sleep on the street, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to being involved in an accident that could take place in the middle of the night. You should say that if you are sleeping in your vehicle on the street, you should find a low traffic area! I have never lived/slept in my small pickup (other than for camping) but I have had it hit (and hit hard!) in the middle of the night while I slept in my house. I am sure glad I wasn’t in it at the time, when that drunk driver came crashing down the street in front of my house!

Pretty small chance this would happen, I guess, but it does increase depending on the street you are parked on.

Good points. I’ve only slept on the actual street in my car a handful of times. For those times, I chose a quiet residential street. Usually, I find an out-of-the way parking lot (or even parking garage) and park among a line of other cars.

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